The weather is finally starting to get nice, which means that summer is just around the corner. If you’re wanting to hit the beach or lake, and don’t want to show off that spare tire you let accumalate during the winter months, then now is the time to do something about it. There are several ways that you can start becoming more fit and looking great, but it will never happen if you don’t put down that beer and Doritos and start burning some calories. The Health Hero wants you to have the best shot at success, so we’ve compiled a few simple tips that should help you get your weight loss efforts started off right.

1. Don’t Focus on Weight Loss, Just Get in Shape

Sometimes when you start working out, you may notice that you aren’t losing a ton of weight. This could potentially be a negative thing, but before you start to panic, assess your workout routines and eating habits over the last several weeks. If you find that you have been eating right, and getting plenty of exercise, you may actually be packing on muscle which is why the scale isn’t trending in a downward trajectory. This definitely isn’t a bad thing, as the more muscle you put on is going to help you burn even more fat, so just stick with your plan, and we’re pretty confident that you’ll be happy with the results come June.

2. Use a Diet Plan with Proven Results

If you often find yourself swinging through the Hardee’s drive-thru after work for a rodeo burger and onion rings, then odds are you aren’t that disciplined when it comes to your diet. If that’s the case, then you may need to go with a system or weight loss plan that is easy to follow and produces results. We have heard rave reviews of the Nutrisystem program , so that could be a good place to start. They offer pre-made meals that are delivered right to your door, which makes things VERY easy – always a bonus! The amount you have to pay for Nutrisystem is actually pretty reasonable as well, so if you’re using it to replace the other food that you have been binging on, then your budget shouldn’t take much of a hit at all.

Besides NS, you we have also hear awesome reports from people using systems like Weight Watchers or the Atkins Diet, so the big takeaway here is just that you need to find something that works, and that you’ll be comfortable using until you reach your fitness goals. For that reason, you may be better serve trying something that you know you can use to change your life. Programs like the Mediterranean Diet are great, because it really becomes a way of life, and not just a crash diet that you’re going to use for a few weeks, and then revert back to the same bad habits that made you fat in the first place.

3. Stick With it…You’ll be Glad You Did

No matter what you decide to do, just make a point to get healthy, and stick it out. If you prepare yourself for long term success, and decide that there is no way that you’re going to fail, then you’ll have a pretty great shot at losing weight and getting in the best shape of your life. Now before we leave you, we want to share a couple of additional resources that we think will fire you up, and help get you going on your weight loss journey, so enjoy!

All of us want to be healthy and remain healthy, however, many people tend to leave it to chance. How can we sustain health and wellness as we age and grow older? More and more often science is proving that nutrition makes all the difference and we really are as healthy as the foods we eat.

The healthiest food you can eat is the food that is found in nature. Nature has provided us with excellent nutrition if we can follow a healthy diet that is high in plant foods and foods occurring naturally in nature rather than foods that are created in a factory. Many of these plant foods are loaded with antioxidants and other healthy phytochemicals that are crucial to our good health. Here is a list of 6 superfoods for sustaining health and wellness. This list is not comprehensive, however, as there are many other extremely healthy foods that can also contribute to your healthy life.

Healthy Food

1. Berries.

From blueberries, strawberries and raspberries to the more exotic goji berries and acai berries, berries are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Most berries have a staggeringly significant concentration of phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and more. Blueberries, with their dark skin, have one of the highest ORAC values of all fruits. The ORAC scale is a measurement of the antioxidant levels of foods. And while blueberries and strawberries rank very high on the ORAC scale, the less well-known acai berry is even higher. But no matter what type of berry you choose, you are getting a nutritional powerhouse all in a compact and delicious way. If you really want to increase your nutrition, select a variety of berries and try to eat them everyday or as often as possible.

2. Spinach. Remember Popeye and how he was good to the finish because he ate his spinach? Well, old Popeye was right on one thing. Spinach is an extremely healthy superfood. However, Popeye ate his spinach right out of a can and the better way to eat spinach is fresh and raw or even fresh and cooked. Fresh spinach retains the most nutrition, closely followed by frozen. However, spinach from a can loses much of its nutrition so eat a fresh spinach salad, saute fresh spinach as a side dish or you can make an absolutely delicious smoothie by combining fresh spinach and berries (yes, you will be getting 2 superfoods at once!). Add a banana for extra creaminess and a boost of potassium. Other greens that are extremely nutritious include kale (even more nutritious than spinach!) romaine lettuce, mustard greens and Swiss chard.

3. Cruciferous vegetable including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, Brussels sprouts and more. These powerfully nutritious vegetables should be a part of everyone’s diet. Science has proven that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have a powerful effect on the development of cancer. Research is ongoing but most scientists agree that the powerful nutrition found in cruciferous vegetables can bolster your immune system and help prevent many different types of cancers.

4. Citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes have long been recognized as healthy foods. Remember it was back in the 1960′s when Linus Pauling did his still controversial research on the myriad of benefits associated with vitamin C. Citrus fruit is loaded with vitamin C and while the jury is still out on some of the claims about vitamin C there is no question that it is a crucial nutrient and a beneficial part of a healthy diet. Citrus fruit is also a good source of fiber, folate, potassium, polyphenols and more.

5. Pumpkin. Along with other orange foods, pumpkin is loaded with Beta-carotene and Alpha-carotenes. Carotenoids have vitamin A activity in the body, meaning that they will be converted into vitamin A retinol, a necessary nutrient, in the body. Pumpkin, along with carrots, butternut squash, sweet orange bell peppers and sweet potatoes are also high in fiber, low in calories, loaded with vitamins A and E along with a healthy dose of potassium, magnesium, pantothenic acid and more. Pumpkin seeds are also a healthy snack. Considering how nutritious pumpkin and these other orange foods are, you should perhaps reconsider only eating pumpkin in your pie on Thanksgiving. Canned pumpkin is available year-round and there are many different ways you can eat it. Of course, sweet potatoes are delicious and also available year-round. The bottom line is add more orange foods to your diet. You’ll be healthier for it.

6. Wild Salmon. Wild salmon and other fatty fishes, such as Alaskan halibut, canned albacore tuna, sardines, herring, trout, sea bass, oysters and clams are among the healthiest foods you can eat. This is because they are loaded with marine-derived omega -3 fatty acids which studies have shown is beneficial for our hearts and circulatory systems, our brains, our moods (yes, an intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been found to be helpful in depression) our skin, our joints and yes, just about every system in our entire bodies. Essential fatty acids are just that, essential for human life. However, we must get these essential fatty acids from our diets as our bodies cannot manufacture them. There are two types of essential fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6. There is a critical and optimum balance among the two essential fatty acids, however, in the standard American diet, there is typically significantly more omega 6 fatty acids than there are omega 3 fatty acids. For good health it is important that this balance becomes more optimal. The essential fatty acids work along with the other nutritional factors of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, antioxidants and electrolytes in every system within the human body. It is recommended for most people to increase their omega-3 fatty acids intake either by supplementation or diet. Wild salmon and its other healthy counterparts can be a delicious way to do this.

Why You Should Strive for a Healthy And Nutritious Diet

A healthy and nutritious diet can go a long way towards helping you to achieve and maintain good health. Food is fuel for your body and if you provide your body with optimum fuel you can expect optimal performance. Eat a healthy and nutritious diet and you will be much more likely to be able to sustain your health and wellness.

With the advent of the internet came a whole bunch of awesome things, many of which you are probably totally aware of. From a health stand point though, the net has totally turned the game upside down. From everything to your personal health, to dating, the internet has changed how we operate. Have weird random pain? Google has an answer for that…in any case, you get the idea.

This change is especially true for dating though. When you really start to look at how much the dating game has changed in the last couple of decades it’s incredible! Back in the day men and women would have to join weird dating services, and they would get a list of prospective men or women sent to them, and then they might use an answering service to leave messages for the people they thought they would like to take out on a date. Wow, have things changed!

With the advent of apps like Tinder and others dating is an entirely different game. Heck, now if you’re feeling the need for companionship you can hop on Craigslist and find singles in your area and just shoot them a quick email, and it’s totally free! It has made things so easy for people, it’s insane!

The point we’re trying to get at here is that there really is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to find a great girlfriend or boyfriend. There are so many tools at your disposal now that it has made things incredibly easy! So if you have been feeling like it’s impossible to find true love, think again…just check out Beth’s story:

As you can see, if you want a partner you really have no excuses at this point. And because dating is part of your overall health, obviously we encourage you to go out and find a loving and caring relationship. There really is no reason for you to not be in a committed relationship at this point, in less you like putting yourself through misery of course! So, what are you waiting for? Go out, get online, and find a boyfriend or girlfriend! You’ll be happy you did…

When it comes to dating that there are plenty of factors that can completely derail things for a man and a woman, and we want to dive head first in to those issues today so you can be aware of the things to watch for so you can keep your relationship a long lasting and healthy one. As we have mentioned before, communication is number one when it comes to keeping things moving in the right direction. If you can’t discuss thoughts or feelings in an open way with your partner, then it’s time to reevaluate things, and figure out ways to create an open channel between the two of you. With all of that being said, let’s dissect one of the top issues that can arise in any relationship, and that’s insecurity.

A Man’s Insecurities can Torpedo Things Quickly

This is especially true for men, but insecurity on either side is a quick way to throw your relationship in the toilet. It can lead to so many issues between a man and a woman, that it’s hard to describe them all, but let’s take a look at a few of the big ones. First off, and this is a bit of an embarrassing one for men, but believe it or not penis size, or a perceived “lack” of size, can have a huge impact on a man’s confidence, and if he thinks that he is on the smaller end of things, he’ll think that he can’t please his partner, and it can lead to a whole host of other problems in the bedroom. Many men will try making their dicks longer or thicker, but will probably end up having very little success. Plus, if they end up trying out devices it can lead to a pretty awkward bedroom situation. Either way, the impact that this can have can be severe. The more a man obsesses about his size, the more likely it is to impact his actual performance in the bedroom, and if we’re being totally honest, that is most likely where the real problem lies. If you find that you have a boyfriend or partner who is in this predicament, then obviously communication is going to be a major key to overcoming it, and just make sure that you tell him the things you like about his performance, and work together to find ways to please each, sans dick pumps or weird contraptions, unless you’re totally into that kind of thing!

Another huge way that insecurity can come into play is by putting you in a controlling situation with your partner. Everyone has the friend with the overzealous boyfriend, who is constantly keeping tabs on his girlfriend, and monitoring her every move. If this is the case for you, one of the first things that we stress is that you need to figure out a way to develop trust with your relationship. If your man is so worried that you are going to cheat on him that he never leaves your side, that isn’t going to be a situation that works in the long term, and you’re going to be much better off by figuring out ways to build that trust, which will again hinge heavily on your communication. If you find that even after talking with your partner (and trying to demonstrate that you trust them, so they should trust you and give you a little space) that they are still letting their insecurity get the best of them, then it may be best to move on. In all honesty, the super control freak boyfriend can be bad news down the road, and should send up alarm bells when it comes to the long term success of your relationship. If you’re not sure if you might be in an emotionally abusive relationship, here are a few warning signs to be aware of:

In the coming days and weeks, we’ll continue to dissect relationships, and plenty of other aspects to your health, so be sure to stick around for some great information that’s coming your way real soon!

Here at Health Hero, we take your health very seriously. That is why we are going to be diving in to all areas of health that can have an impact on your life, and it is our goal to present this information in a such a way that it only has positive impacts on your health and the way that you live your life. Your health is the number one most important thing in life – after all if you’re not healthy you may not have as much life left to enjoy!

Below we’ll give you a quick rundown of the things that we’ll dive into – Just to give you idea of the type of info that we’re going to be covering in the coming days, weeks, months, and hopefully years!

1. Relationships

Yep, we’re going to dive head into your love life! Having a healthy relationship is one of the main factors to your happiness, and if you have someone to share your life with, you will find it more enjoyable and fulfilling. No one wants to be left alone at 60 years old, because your retirement years will be dull and boring. In the long run you will want someone that you can go out and enjoy the world with. There are many key factors that lead to a healthy relationship, but obviously your emotional and sexual well being are going to be at the top of the list. Most folks don’t want to discuss sex life, but that’s what we’re here for. Even if it’s a bit taboo or off limits for some, we want to dissect the uncomfortable, so you will feel better knowing that you have the best information available -even when it comes to subjects others won’t cover.

2. Physical Health

Your physical well being is another HUGE piece of the puzzle. No couch potatoes here! There are so many reasons to get physically fit – heck they even just released a report that states the more your workout, the less likely you are to get Alzheimer’s, and if that doesn’t get you motivated to work out, I’m not sure what will!

In addition to all of the awesome physical reasons that working out brings, it is also going to help improve your mental capacity as well. Working out makes you more self confident and that will carry over to your love life as well! So more reasons than just a six pack or big butt to hit the gym! Also, don’t think you have time for the gym? What if you could get results in just 7 minutes? No more excuses…

So long story short, those are our two biggest topics we’re going to cover around here, and then we’ll dive in to a bunch of super important sub categories as well, so we’ll have you totally covered!